2.08.2012

How to Love Green Stuff........................................................................... Kale & Baked Eggplant with Spicy Marinara.

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Last night I was making you some fabulous Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas topped with Cilantro Cream Sauce.
Don't they sound great? I was really excited about it. They were going to be an incredibly delicious way for us to eat our greens...

But they were not delicious and in fact, tasted very much like a petting zoo. 

You know that pellet food you can buy for a quarter and then feed to the animals at the zoo... my enchiladas tasted like that stuff smells. I know you know what I'm talkin' about. So really, they didn't taste like the zoo. They tasted like goat food.

This is just a speculation based on the smell. I've actually never eaten goat food. Maybe it's really good, I don't know.
You know how suntan lotion smells like heavenly coconuts, but probably doesn't taste good at all. (also have not tried it) Maybe goat food is opposite. Smells terrible, but tastes amazing? Who wants to test my genius theory out?

At any rate, the enchiladas weren't good. I don't think it was their fault. I'm blaming it on the 2 teaspoons of rancid white pepper.  I made some polenta the other day with white pepper, and it tasted like a petting zoo too.

"Why didn't she throw the pepper away?" (you're probably asking yourself)
Well, turns out I'm a S-L-O-W learner, as will probably be evidenced to you over the course of my writing. Lucky for you, it's not only entertaining, but educational as well.
You're welcome.

If you're wondering, I threw the pepper away this morning. 

And now in place of the super exciting enchiladas, I will give you a much less exciting standard preparation of Kale. Along with some Baked Eggplant with Spicy Marinara which is not green (obviously), but pretty damn tasty. 

Is anyone else tired of looking at these blue plates with Swirlies yet? I am.

This was my first run in with Kale since working at the Golden Corral as a 16 year old. (Thank you for calling Golden Corral, home of the Golden Choice Buffet, this is Chandra, how may I help you?) Since then, I've only ever considered the stuff a cosmetic green for covering ice on a salad bar with. It never really occurred to me that one might eat it.

I was good. Really good. I'd even consider myself a fan.

 Here's how you can make your own Kale:

~ Prep one bunch of kale by cutting out the woody stalk, and then chopping into bite size pieces. 

~ Heat a drizzle of olive oil and a couple minced cloves of garlic in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the kale and a 1/2 Cup vegetable broth. Cover and steam until liquids are absorbed (about 5 minutes). Top with a couple Tablespoons of red wine vinegar and a dash of tamari.

~ That's it. Pretty flippin' easy.

Kale wilts down considerably, so one bunch will be enough for one person.


For the Baked Eggplant with Spicy Marinara:


~ Cut one eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Lay out flat on a towel and sprinkle both sides with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes. This will sweat out the water so you don't end up with soggy baked eggplant. 

~ Toast 1 Cup bread fresh crumbs in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. 

~ In shallow dish mix together bread crumbs, 1 T. nutritional yeast, 1 1/2 Tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp pepper.

~ In another shallow dish, melt 1/4 C butter in the microwave.

~ Dip eggplant slices into butter, then coat well with bread crumb mixture. Place on a rack over a baking pan. This will keep them nice and crispy. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 

~ Meanwhile, dice half an onion and saute in a saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil and S&P until tender. 

~ To the onions, add a 28 oz can of basic marinara, 1 T oregano, 1 T basil, 1/2 T crushed red pepper, 2 tsp. sugar, a pinch of cayenne, and 1/4 Cup water
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until eggplant is done baking.

~ Serve Spicy Marinara over the Baked Eggplant.

Am I the only one who screws up dinner on a regular basis? Please tell me I'm not. Somebody.
Anybody?!

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4 comments:

  1. This looks so yummy! I discovered Kale not long ago and I have not looked back!!

    http://www.lyzhang.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm not sure how I've gone my entire life without it. I think I'll definitely be eating more of it. Glad you could stop by... It's very nice to "meet" you. :)

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  2. i really need to give kale a shot...can you believe i still haven't tried it? oh and if you are looking to change up your plates...what if you just buy a few solid color ones, maybe even white so that the colors of the food really stick out :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I made Kale again tonight and it was really yummy. You should definitely try it... I think you'd like it! Thanks for the plate idea :)

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